


Three Nonconsecutive Days

by drvology



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 06:33:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9372437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drvology/pseuds/drvology
Summary: (sunrise) (a hammock by The Tree) (how sound bounces around in the quarry)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [riyku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/riyku/gifts).



> Follows & from the same time & space as One Month.

(sunrise)

"Can't sleep?"

"No." Lukas stops fiddling with the pocket watch and sighs. His racing thoughts should quit so easily. "Sorry."

He didn't mean to wake Philip but guilt for doing so doesn't come—he's too relieved Philip is awake and they can talk. Or not talk. He's just relieved Philip is there.

Philip pushes up and squints at him, blinks, leans down and kisses the bridge of his nose. Then Philip straightens, smiles tiredly, and gets up, faster than Lukas can reach and draw them close again.

The pale gray half-light of a sky not yet filled with the sun is diffuse though early morning mist. Philip starts getting dressed, doesn't talk or offer more than the action itself, doesn't check on Lukas. He adds several layers and pushes his arm into one of Lukas' flannels as he walks around the bed, takes the pocket watch and reverently sets it on the dresser across the room, then he perches on the end of the bed and puts his shoes on.

Philip is down the stairs before Lukas manages to react. He throws the covers off and gropes around on the floor for his clothes, realizes he'll be left behind if he doesn't move it. He follows Philip's lead and puts on layers and his jacket, shoves his feet into his boots and clops into the hall, winces and stops everything to hold his breath. After a minute of tense silence there's no stirring from Dad's room. He retreats to his and gets the boots on for real, then tiptoes downstairs.

The kitchen is empty and Philip doesn't really go anywhere else in the house but the kitchen and Lukas' room—Lukas is working on that but it's slow going. He slips out the side door in search. The mist has gathered into a loose rain and Philip meets him right outside, shoves a knit cap onto his head and grabs his hand, and he smiles and follows without question. He likes the hush of the world and how it's undemanding, only theirs.

Philip seems to have a route in mind and Lukas' only concern is staying tethered to Philip and letting his mind drift for a while. The rain slows, ends, pulls away into the clouds as the mist begins to break up. A fair hike later and they're approaching the lake—Philip walks them to a ramble of boulders, tugs a barn work towel from under his shirt, and unfurls it over the stone.

"Gimme your coat."

Lukas frowns but hands it over. It's even bigger on Philip than him.

Philip sits, holds out his arms, and Lukas hesitates but then sits in the vee of Philip's legs. He's usually the one to hold—it's what he's more comfortable with and he likes having Philip close, surrounded, safe—but after several long breaths he unconsciously times to Philip's, he relaxes against Philip, who then draws the coat around both of them.

Lukas laughs and nods and turns his head so he can nose along the curve of Philip's neck, and their combined warmth eases him into a pleasant, dozy state.

Philip's hands fist over Lukas' middle and he huffs, trying to ignore something, thoughts Lukas can almost hear.

"What?" Lukas cracks one eye open and watches Philip's pulse, watches the bleed of light just starting to infuse the thick wall of clouds at the horizon.

Philip swallows, loud in Lukas' ear. Shakes his head. So Lukas pinches him.

"Really—what?"

"I'm sorry people at school are still giving you crap."

"Oh." Lukas isn't okay with it yet but it's also a weird relief. There's no front to maintain and him wanting to focus so much on Philip, be so much with Philip to the exclusion of all else, hasn't cost him anything socially. "Doesn't matter."

Philip makes an unimpressed sound. "Which is why you didn't sleep at all last night after a Friday of them being particularly crappy about it."

It's still new enough some of his friends and others at school are adjusting. He's also admitted some never will adjust.

Lukas grumps.

"I'm just saying you're allowed to have it bother you. These are people you've known your whole life and are friends with and stuff." Philip curls their hands together. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, but they're just as shitty to you about it. Maybe even worse."

Philip's grin flattens. "Which is zero change from how they've always been so whatever."

Anger at the truth of it—that he added to it for so long—burns through Lukas' upset and uncertainty for himself.

"Yeah well, fuck them." Lukas twists around and gets Philip's face in his hands, means it, says again, "Fuck them."

It had bothered him until just this moment. He realizes that, and realizes just this moment why it doesn't matter at all. He expects Philip to be upset or to be doing that chew on the corner of his lip trying to hide it thing, but Philip's eyes dance and he kisses Lukas, long enough for Lukas' anger to fade.

Lukas pulls away when it hurts his neck too much to be craned around like that but he doesn't change his mind.

"I mean it you know. Because I don't care about them like—like." Lukas holds a breath and then makes himself say, "Like you."

Lukas peeks back and Philip's beaming, the brightening world around them making his skin glow and his eyes twinkle and Lukas has to touch, get another kiss.

"I know. Same."

He nods, kisses under Philip's ear and twists around, leans forward clear of the coat, stretches his neck. Philip's palms press against his back, warm and wide.

"How's your dad doing with it? I know he's dealing, and hasn't thrown you out, so that's something."

Lukas grabs a handful of dirt, filters out the rocks, throws them one at a time into the lake. "Better, I guess. No, that's not fair—definitely better. He still kinda hates it but at least…" He finds another rock and goes quiet because he's not sure saying the rest isn't a lie.

Philip sets a few more rocks by his hand and then rubs his back in gently expanding circles. Only waits, doesn't push.

"…at least he doesn't hate me." Lukas' voice cracks but the words feel real and honest. He could say it, then, and he still hasn't lied to Philip.

"That's more important—I mean, right? After high school you never have to see any of them again." Philip runs his hands down Lukas' arms. "But you're kinda stuck with your dad. Not that you couldn't get away from him after high school too, but it's different."

"Yeah. It is. Both things." Lukas blinks at the water and heaviness drags at him, fatigue and release and the relief of just being forgiven. That Philip forgave him, that he's allowed to be forgiving. Understood. The ripples from the rocks are faraway, barely a disturbance.

"Now shush so I can enjoy the sunrise."

"Like I was the one yammering." Lukas rolls his eyes. He scans the sky, the solid wall of grey that's slightly lighter grey as the hidden sun progresses. "You can't even see anything."

"I can see everything I need to," Philip whispers and pulls at Lukas, wraps him back in the coat.

Lukas laughs—a funny hiccup that's almost like crying and feels like electricity, fire, peace—and turns again into the bend of Philip's neck. He closes his eyes, thinks about having a whole Saturday in front of them to enjoy, and falls asleep.

|| || ||

(a hammock by The Tree)

meet me @ tt

Philip pockets his phone and stops searching the schoolyard for Lukas or Lukas' bike waiting at the periphery for him to hurry up and join.

He answers with a thumbs-up and a kissy face. Lukas sends a peace sign and each of the different heart emojis back.

He darts across the street and runs toward the station, when a siren blips right behind him. He clutches his chest and turns, and Tony pulls up even with him, rolls down the window.

"I could cite you for jaywalking, you know."

Philip shakes his head. "No such thing where I come from. You know." He's deadpan, fights it when Tony grins, leaning over to pop open the door.

"Let me take you wherever you're such in a fool hurry to get—headed home? the station? the quarry?"

"Thanks." Philip climbs inside, buckles up under Tony's raised eyebrow, and flattens his hands on his shoulder bag pulled into his lap. "You know the old barn by the quarry road?"

Tony makes a noise like— _do I_ —turns left three times and goes back the other way out of town. He talks about everything, and it's nothing Philip really has to answer, and it's easy company Philip is grateful for. Tony waves when they see each other in town, treats him as normal no big deal, and it's nice. Nice because Tony doesn't have to be this cool about him, even if he's Helen's foster son.

They pull up and stop at the mouth of the access road.

"Want me to get you any closer?"

"Nah, this is good." Philip hops out of the Jeep and holds out a fist. Tony appreciates it when he initiates the bump.

Tony grins, makes the exploding gesture and noises after they tap fists, and then points at him. "I'm seeing Helen in like, ten. Want me to tell her I dropped you off here?"

"That'd be great—thanks." Philip shuts the door and stands aside. He waits so he can wave as Tony drives away. He doesn't want Tony to track his approach up and around the barn and to The Tree, but he also figures Tony's more than earned parting waves.

His heart speeds as he climbs the hill and his skin tingles in anticipation. But Lukas isn't there and he stops abruptly, turns in place.

"Over here!"

Lukas stands farther up in the tree line. Even from here Philip can see his grin. He speeds up the hill and Lukas grabs his wrist, urges him faster, and leads him around one of the larger trees to look back down at the barn.

A hammock stretches between the big tree and another, beckoning Philip to dump his bag and climb right into it.

"Did you make this?"

"Kind of—I ordered the middle part and set up the rest." Lukas grins and climbs in too.

The hammock wobbles and they laugh, bump elbows and chins and almost fall out the other side. Lukas lunges back over and Philip spreads and flattens into the hammock, holds his breath, and they don't move as the hammock sways to almost stillness.

Lukas snickers and gets up behind him, wraps all around, gets them settled under his coat. Philip closes his eyes remembering the sunrise and wishes it was another weekend tonight.

"Sunset's gonna start soon." Lukas gets his free hand up Philip's shirt and half down Philip's waistband, just a comfortable, I want you closer, fit. "Sky's already pink—it's pretty."

"This is awesome. You're amazing." Philip catches Lukas' hand in his, kisses into the palm, watches the world past the edge of the blue-striped canvas hammock.

Lukas kisses his neck and hums, low and pleased. Philip's heart leaps and his insides thump. Lukas touching him, Lukas' breath warm against him, Lukas doing things just for him, Lukas happy. Happy together. It does everything to him. Everything good.

|| || ||

(how sound bounces around in the quarry)

Gabe has been sent in search of the boys—they're not difficult to find. Lukas is supposed to be getting some practice in but there's no revving or idling engine noise.

He's getting some practice in, all right, but for doing exactly what Gabe will never fully disclose.

"Boys?" he shouts.

His voice is carried to edge the rim of the quarry bowl same as their noises, clear and ringing, echoing back to him on this lovely and bright fall day.

Their muffled curses sound to him and he swallows laughter. Waits. Then he calls again.

"Here to pick you up—you ready?" He climbs the rise with a purposeful, heavy tread.

"Yes—yeah!" Philip pops up into view. He waves and holds up a finger, disappears, and returns quicker than Gabe expects more or less put together.

Gabe doesn't comment on the leaf in Philip's hair or the shirt tag at the dip of Philip's collarbone.

"Where's Lukas?" He squints, and makes a show of searching, starts to climb again.

"Getting his bike. We were just going over the video I got of some of his jumps." Philip is flushed—goes a shade darker—but it's a color borne from happiness and ease.

It's damn good to see.

Gabe offers a casual accepting sound. "How's he doing?"

"Good. Almost back to form." Philip grins. "You can watch the reel when I'm done with the vid."

"I will." Gabe means it. He likes supporting Philip's efforts with it as much as he's interested in Lukas' riding. Besides, it finally gave him something to talk about with Bo other than avian virus concerns.

The bike roars to life from somewhere down in the belly of the quarry and Philip's eyes widen.

"Wow. That's really loud from here."

Gabe tries a casual, noncommittal sound.

Philip's flush returns but he catches a grin in his teeth and rolls his eyes at Gabe when Gabe smiles at him.

Lukas rides over to them and gets his helmet off. He's looking at Philip when he asks, "Is it okay if I take us to your place, sir?"

Philip won't look at either of them.

Gabe gives them a musing, gimmie a minute sound, and then he nods. "Yes, but no stops and no going the long way. You'll both want to clean up and get some homework in before your father joins us for dinner, Lukas."

"Yes, sir." The 'sir' is automatic but it's not from a fearful impulse. Lukas hands the second helmet to Philip and then smiles shyly at Gabe. "Thanks."

"Ride safely—see you both soon."

Philip climbs behind Lukas and Gabe watches them go. Then he finishes climbing the rise, scoops up a rock and throws it, grins at the wet sploosh-thowp noise it makes. He raises his face to the sun and closes his eyes, listens to the birds start singing again, the whine of the bike receding until it's quieter than the wind's whisper through the reeds and cattails growing thick in the bend of the quarry pond.


End file.
